A THREE-day festival of plays, featuring big topics that are current and appealing to a wide cross-section of Guyanese, is billed for Theatre Guild during the period November 24 to 26.
Festival Director Simone Dowding, told The Buzz on Thursday that five short plays will be featured, each with its own director. It is a competition for which an award ceremony will be held sometime next year.

Dowding, who was a member of the Theatre Guild Board back in 2012, suggested that the festival, which was originally held decades ago, be brought back to life. After a whopping 28 years, it was put on again in 2012, and later again in 2014.

The plays are written by Guyanese preferably, while any other individual is usually required to first obtain permission before they can submit their play to the Guild. In 2019, awards will be given for Best Director, Best New Director, Best Newcomer (actor and actress), Best Playwright, Best Play, Best Costume and Best Actor and Best Actress.

According to Dowding, the aim is really to use the festival to introduce new actors and actresses in Guyana. All of the plays are produced by Theatre Guild and tickets can be obtained for $1,200. A ‘season’ ticket (one ticket for all three nights) cost $3,200.

One of the plays, entitled “Political Diversion” is written and directed by Sidney Henry. It speaks about politics in Guyana and features the political views that are held by the public. It aims to find common ground during the discussions so as to motivate persons to vote based on policies and other important factors, as opposed to voting based on race alone.

Mrs. Sheron Cadogan-Taylor is writing and directing a play called “The Ex” which is about a man who was separated from his wife because of the deception and treachery meted out to him by his mother-in-law. When he realises what happened to him, he is out to get the woman back even though she is now married to someone else.

According to Cadogan-Taylor, the play seeks answers to whether or not parents should interfere in their children’s marriages and relationships and the sad consequences that come about when vulnerable people are taken advantage of.

“Before her parking” is another play by Coleen Humphrey in her directorial debut and it is written by Mosa Telford. Being a domestic violence play, it deals with murder, abuse, and loss of love. It speaks of a boy who was abused by his mother and who subsequently brought forward negative traits that he exhibited in his own family, which led to sad consequences and even death. The play is both emotional and very realistic, Humphrey told this publication.

“Unbreakable” is another play that is written and directed by Randolph Critchlow. The central theme revolves around mental health and depression.
The play, which was staged at the National Cultural Centre last October 10 on World Mental Health Day, gives insight into a young adult who is coping with so much stress that she contemplates suicide.

It also gives viewers an idea of some of the coping measures that can be employed and a good idea of what someone who is depressed goes through. The play also advises sufferers to seek professional help.

Critchlow told The Buzz that he runs the One Act Foundation with his partner, Nuriyyih Gerrard, and that this play, a project that both of them worked on, was just another opportunity they received to spread the message of their foundation.
Rae Wiltshire will be directing a play called “Duenne” that is written by Professor Paloma Mohammed.